Action on Ableism:  Call for Artists and Educators

Are you or someone you know an artist or educator living with disability and looking to spark creativity and learning to address ableism in Alberta?  Come be part of a team to shake spaces and challenge the narratives around people living with disabilities. 

The John Humphrey Centre for Peace and Human Rights, along with partners, invites you to participate in the Action on Ableism project.  Our goal is to use different forms of artistic expression to demonstrate, particularly to those in the public sector, the practical way in which   policies and practices deepen ableism in the province.   Importantly art work should highlight and increase awareness to those barriers to the realization of dignity and human rights amongst disability communities across Alberta. 

Partners in this project include the Self Advocacy Federation, Voices of Albertans with Disabilities, the University of Alberta and Rapid Fire Theatre. 

Participants will:

  • Take part in a monthly zoom meeting for 1.5 hours from January - April 2023. The intention of these meetings will be to get to know each other, build foundations and plan for a retreat gathering. The days and times will be set together as a team.

  • Participate in a retreat at URSA Retreat Centre north of Caroline, Alberta on May 30, 31 and June 1,  2023 as part of National Accessibility Week.  We will have programming those three days and participants are welcome to travel in on May 29, 2023 and depart on June 2, 2023. At this retreat, we will develop and build creative works together to challenge mindsets.

  • Continue to meet regularly following the retreat to build an education workshop using the stories created. A schedule and plan will be built together at the retreat in Caroline. Stories created will also be shared via social media to highlight the ways ableism manifests in the everyday.

  • Work together to deliver educational workshops to the public sector as part of National Accessibility Week from May 27-31, 2024.

Participants will be provided with:

  • $50 honoraria/gift card for each meeting participation

  • Accommodations and costs associated with the retreat will be covered by the project including travel.

  • $200-300 for each education session delivered in 2024’s National Accessibility Week.

We will be recruiting up to 12 participants for this Action team. 

To apply, please send an email to info@jhcentre.org sharing the following:

  • Name

  • Contact number

  • Email

  • Address

  • Why would you like to participate in this project?

  • What is your experience in creating art or storytelling?

Deadline to apply November 30 2022. 

If you have any questions, please email info@jhcentre.org or call 780 453 2638.

We thank Employment and Skills Development Canada and the Government of Alberta for their support in enabling this work.

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